Cable lashing apparatus



May 25, 1965 J. M. EITEL v CABLE LASHING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Shea} 1 Filed March 27, 1964 .l|l lllllll lllllll INVENTOR. I Jay' M. Eitel BY Attorneys May 25, 1965 J- M. ElTEL CABLE LASHING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 27, 1964 INVENTOR. Jay M Eire! V mm United States Patent 3,185,443 CABLE LASHING APPARATUS Jay M. Eitel, Los Altos, Califi, assignor to Telsta Corporation, San Carlos, Califi, a corporation of California Filed Mar. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 355,503 6 Claims. (Cl. 254134.3)

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 166,248, filed January 15, 1962, now abandoned.

This invention relates to cable lashing apparatus and more particularly to cable lashing apparatus of the type in which the cable is guided directly into the lasher.

In the past, in the lashing of cable to messenger, it has been the practice to pull a separate guide shoe which is mounted upon the messenger or strand and then to pull the lasher separately behind the guide shoe. This is disadvantageous because it requires the use of two pulling lines which can readily become entangled. Also, the pull between the two must be carefully controlled. In addition, with conventional lashing apparatus, it has been difficult, if not impossible, to lash a second, third or fourth cable without first removing the lashing which has already been placed on the cable. By double lashing, I mean the lashing of more than one cable to a messenger or strand. There is, therefore, a need for a new and improved lashing apparatus.

In general, it is an object of the present invention to provide a lashing apparatus which overcomes the above named disadvantages and which is particularly useful in direct lashing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lashing apparatus of the above character which can be utilized on new construction or which can be utilized for double or triple lashing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lashing apparatus of the above character which eliminates the use of the second pulling line.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lashing apparatus of the above character which operates as a single unit and .can be readily controlled by the operator. Another object of the invention is to provide a lashing apparatus of the above character which placesa minimum strain upon the cable as it is being lashed.

. Another object of the invention is to provide a lashing apparatus of the above character which is relatively light in weight and which can be readily shifted around obstr-uctions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lashing apparatus of the above character in which it is unnecessary to remove lashing already put in place and in which the lashing apparatus will readily travel over such lashing.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lashing apparatus of the above character which can be utilized with conventional lashers with minor modifications. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide a lashing apparatus of the above character which has detachable cable guide means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lashing apparatus of the above character which can be readily utilized for either fieldside or roadside placement of cable.

Additional objects and features of the invention'will appear from the following description in which the preferred embodiment is set forth in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of cable lashing appa r-atus incorporating my invention and particularly howing its use.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the cable lashing apparatus shown in FIGURE 1 and, in particular, shows the lasher and the cable guide mounted in front of the lasher.-

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of the lasher shown in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view of the cable guide shown in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a rear elevational view of the cable guide shown in FIGURE 2.

In general, my cable lashing apparatus is adapted to lash cable to messenger or strand and consists of a cable lasher which is mounted upon the messenger. Cable guiding means adapted to be mounted on the messenger is secured to the lasher and serves to guide the cable into the lasher. Means is mounted on the lasher for attaching a pulling line to the lasher so that the lasher can be pulled and the cable guiding means secured to the lasher is pushed ahead of the lasher to guide the cable into the lasher.

As shown in the drawings, my cable lashing apparatus consists of a lasher 11 and a cable guide 12. The lasher 11 is of substantially conventional construction and, for example, can be of the type D, catalog #7360 manufactured by General Machine Products Co., Inc. of Trevose, Pa. However, such a lasher must be modified slightly in order to be useful in accordance with the present inven-. tion by eliminating what is called a strand lock. As is well known to those skilled in the art, it consists of a small steel roller that rides upon the bottom of the strand and is attached to a cam lever so that the harder the pull is on the lasher, the more pressure that is applied on the rubber rollers that drive the rotating head within the lasher and which actually performs the lashing. I have found it necessary to remove this strand lock because it is this strand lock which makes it impossible, to lash over cable which already has been lashed. The removal of this strand lock assembly provides a completely open U-shaped passage 13 in the lasher as shown particularly in FIGURE 3 so that the lasher can readily ride over cable which has already been lashed without any danger of the lashing wire previously used becoming entangled within the lasher.

An adaptor plate 14 is mounted on the front end of the lasher 11 as shown particularly in FIGURE 3 and is secured .to the lasher '11 'by cap screws 16. The adaptor plate .14 is provided with an arcuate recess 17 which is adapted to accommodate the messenger 18 as shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawing. The adaptor plate is also provided with a hook 19 which has an L-shaped notch 21 therein as shown particularly in FIGURE 2. The adaptor plate is also provided With safety eyes 22 on opposite sides thereof as a safety measure for transferring the cable lasher around the pole. Pulling lugs or eyes 23 are provided on both sides of the body of the lasher and are utilized for pulling the lasher as hereinafter described. It has been found that the location of these pulling eyes is relatively critical in order to provide the proper force on the rubber drum rollers 25 as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 2 to rotate the head of the lasher. The pulling eyes are positioned to apply the force midway between the two rollers 25 when the pulling or tow rope 61 is at a 45 angle.

The cable guide 12 consists of a pair of spaced parallel side frame members 26 and 27 which are separated by spa-cersZS and secured to the spacers by cap screws 29. A plurality of rollers 31 are disposed between the side frame members 26 and 27 and are rotatably mounted upon bolts 32 which extend through the side frame members 26 and 27. If desired, bushings (not shown) can be provided on the bolts 32 to facilitate ease of rotation of the rollers 31. The outer side margins of the rollers 31 are recessed within the side frame members 26 and 27, as shown particularly in FIGURE 4, to prevent multi-conductor wire cable from snagging between the rollers 31 andthe side frame members 26 and 27.

Also, the forward edges of the side frame members 26 and 27 are rounded so that they can act as additional guide means'without danger of damaging the cable. Any number of rollers may be provided such as, for example, the three rollers shown in the drawings. The rollers, as shown, are arranged between the side frame members 26 and 27 to provide an arcuate substantially convex path for the cable 34.

An arm 36 is adapted to be secured to either of the frame members 26 or 27 by cap screws 35. As shown in the drawing, it is secured to the side frame member 26. The arm is provided with a U-shaped portion 36:: in which is disposed a pulley 37. The pulley is rotatably mounted upon a bolt 38 extending through the U-shaped portion 36a. The U-shaped portion 36a of the arm is positioned in such a manner that the pulley 37 is spaced above the rollers 31 and is centrally disposed between the side edges of the rollers. The pulley 37 is adapted to rest or travel upon the messenger 18 as shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. A brace 41 has one end secured to the arm 36 and the other end secured to the framework as shown in FIGURE 2.

Another arm 43 is adapted to be mounted on either of the side frame members 26 or 27 by cap screws 42. As shown in the drawings, it is mounted on the side frame member 26. A cross piece 44 is secured to the arm 43 by suitable means such as bolts 46. A block 47 of suitable resilient material such as rubber is mounted on the forward end of the cross arm 44 and is secured thereto by suitable means such as bolts 48. A pin 51 is mounted on the rear end of the cross arms 44 and extends between the same. The rear ends of the cross arms are spaced apart a suitable distance so that they can receive the hook 19 provided on the adaptor plate 14 and so that the pin 51 carried by the cross arms 44 can enter and seat within the L-shaped recess provided in the hook as shown particularly in FIGURE 2.

Safety means is provided for preventing the cable guide from accidentally jumping off of the messenger or strand and consists of a safety chain 54 which has one end secured to a mounting plate 56. The mounting plate 56 is afiixed to the side frame member 27 by a cap screw 57. The other end of the chain is provided with a snap 58 which is adapted to be hooked into a ring 59 aifixed to the U-shaped member 36a.

Operation and use of my lashing apparatus may now be briefly described as follows. Let it first be assumed that it is desired to directly lash a cable such as the cable 34 shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawings to a messenger or strand 18 in new construction. When such is the case, the lasher is placed upon the strand 18. Thereafter, the cable guide 12 is placed upon the strand by placing the pulley 37 on the strand so that the rollers 31 immediately underlie the strand. The other end of the cable guide is placed in the hook 19 so that the pin 51 is seated within the L-shaped recess 21. The safety chain 54 is then snapped into place. The cable 34 is then passed upwardly through the cable guide and into the lasher as shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawing. A pulling line 61 is provided with a bridle 62 which has a pair of snaps 63 hooked into the eyes 23 provided on the body of the lasher.

As soon as this has been accomplished, direct lashing may be performed by pulling the lasher forwardly with the line 61. At the same time that the lasher is pulled forwardly, the cable guide is pushed ahead by the hook 19 and serves to guide the cable 34 upwardly into the lasher so that it can be readily lashed to the messenger.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that with my lashing apparatus, it is unnecessary to utilize a second pulling line for pulling the cable guide 12 because the cable guide 12 and the lasher 11 act as a unitary assembly and can be pulled by the same tow rope 61.

This greatly simplifies the operators task in lashing cable in that it is unnecessary for him to control two tow lines or to control the slack in two tow lines. The cable, as it is being placed, is placed with a minimum of friction because the rollers 31 readily guide the cable into the lasher to thereby eliminate undue stressing of the outer sheath of the cable. This is particularly advantageous in the placement of plastic cable because the cable guide will not damage or break the covering for the cable.

It should be noted that the tow line 61 is connected to the front of the lasher 11 so that a considerable downward pressure is applied to the front end of the lasher as the lasher is being towed. This is advantageous because it places additional pressure upon the rubber rollers within the lasher so that they firmly engage the strand 18 to thereby obtain sufiicient traction to drive the apparatus in the lasher which actually performs the lashing operation. The eyes 23 have been positioned in such a manner that they will place maximum pressure upon the rubber traction rollers provided within the lasher. In addition to the downward forces which are applied by the tow line, additional downward forces are applied to the lasher by the cable guide 12. This is because the weight of the cable in the cable guide also applies a downward pressure upon the book 19. I have found that with the pressure applied by the tow line 61 and the pressure applied by the weight of the cable to the front end of the lasher adequate traction is obtained for rotating the head of the lasher without the use of a strand lock.

When it is necessary to move the cable lashing apparatus around an obstruction such as a pole which sup ports the messenger, this can be readily accomplished by detaching the cable guide 12 from the lasher by removing the pin 51 from the hook 19 and then lifting the cable guide off the messenger and pushing it forward around the pole after which it is again placed upon the messenger. The pulley 37 is first placed upon the messenger and then the rubber block 47 is allowed to engage the messenger 18. This is advantageous because the rubber block 47 prevents the cable guide from being urged backward due to the force applied by the weight of the cable 34. This is important because there must be enough space provided between the cable guide 12 and the obstruction so that the lasher 11 can be moved around the obstruction. While the cable guide 12 is held in the desired position by the rubber block 47, the lasher is shifted around the pole and placed upon the messenger. Thereafter, the rear end of the cable guide 12 is lifted and the pin 51 is again inserted into the hook 19, after which the direct lashing can be continued as hereinbefore described.

The cable lashing apparatus can be readily used for either fieldside or roadside placement. The tow line 61 applies a balanced pull to the lasher regardless of whether the lasher is being used for fieldside or roadside placement because of the balanced pull provided by the bridle 62. The supporting arms 36 and 43 can be rapidly shifted from one side frame member to the other merely by removal of the cap screws 35 and 42. Normally, the arms 36 and 43 are positioned on the side frame member closest to the operator to facilitate transferring the cable guide around the pole.

My cable lashing apparatus is particularly adapted for use in double lashing, that is, where it is desirable to lash another cable onto a messenger on which one or more cables have already been lashed or have been placed in rings. As hereinbefore described, the lasher has been modified in such a manner that it can readily travel over such cable which has already been lashed to the messenger without removing the lashing. The lashing apparatus is used in much the same manner as hereinbefore described. The arms 36 and 43 are constructed in such a manner that they give adequate clearance to any cables which may already be lashed to the messenger.

It is apparent from the foregoing that I have provided a new and improved cable lashing apparatus which is particularly useful in direct lashing for new construction and also for direct lashing of another cable to a messenger which already has cables lashed in place. The apparatus is constructed in such a manner that it can be readily used by one operator. It is also constructed in such a manner that it can be readily moved around obstructions without difficulty.

I claim:

1. In a cable lashing apparatus adapted to lash cable to a messenger or strand, a cable lasher adapted to be mounted upon the strand, cable guiding means adapted to be mounted upon the strand for guiding the cable into the lasher, said cable guiding means having a plurality of rollers forming an arcuate path for guiding the cable, means mounted on the lasher for attaching a pulling line so that the lasher can be towed, means rigidly and releasably securing the cable guiding means to the front of the lasher so that as the lasher is towed the cable guiding means is pushed ahead by the lasher to guide the cable into the lasher as the lasher is advanced, and means provided on said cable guiding means adapted to directly and frictionally engage the messenger only when it is free of the lasher to prevent the cable guiding means from travelling backwards when it is separated from the lasher.

2. In cable lashing apparatus adapted to lash cable to a messenger or strand, a cable lasher mounted upon the strand, cable guiding means mounted on the messenger and secured to the lasher and serving to guide the cable into the lasher, said cable guiding means including a pair of side frame members, a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted between the side frame members, an arm secured to one of the side frame members, a pulley rotatably mounted on the arm and engaging the messenger to support the rollers in a position generally underlying the messenger, means mountedon the rear end of one of the side [frame members and releasably secured to the front end of the lasher, means mounted on the front end of the lasher for attaching a pulling line so that the lasher can be towed and the cable guiding apparatus secured thereto be pushed ahead of the lasher to guide the cable into the lasher, and a friction member mounted on the rear end of the cable guiding means, said friction member being adapted to engage the strand when the cable guiding means is disconnected from the lasher.

3. In a cable guide adapted for use with a lasher to lash cable to a messenger or strand, the cable guide comprising a pair of side frame members, a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted between the side frame members and defining an arcuate path for the travel of cable therethrough, an arm mounted on one of the side frame members, a pulley rotatably mounted on the arm and engaging the messenger to support the rollers in a position so that they substantially underlie the messenger, an additional arm secured to one of the side frame members, means carried by said additional arm adapted to be releasably secured to the lasher so that the cable guide will be pushed ahead of the lasher as the lasher is advanced,

, and frictional means mounted on said additional arm, said frictional means being adapted to engage the messenger when the additional arm is out of engagement with the lasher.

4. In a cable lashing apparatus adapted to lash cable to a messenger or strand, a cable lasher adapted to be mounted upon the strand, cable guiding means adapted to be mounted upon the strand for guiding the cable into the lasher, means mounted on the lasher for attaching a pulling line so that the lasher can be towed, means rigidly and releasably securing the cable guiding means to the front of the lasher so that as the lasher is towed the cable guiding means is pushed ahead by the lasher to guide the cable into the lasher as the lasher is advanced, and means provided on said cable guiding means adapted to directly and frictionally engage the messenger only when it is free of the lasher to prevent the cable guiding means from travelling backwards when it is separated from the lasher.

5. In a cable lashing apparatus adapted to lash cable to .a messenger or strand, a cable lasher adapted to be mounted upon the messenger or strand, said cable lasher having a rotatable head and also having a pair of friction Wheels for rotating the head of the lasher and adapted to engage the messenger, cable guiding means adapted to be mounted upon the messenger for guiding the cable into the lasher, said cable guiding means having a plurality of rollers forming an upwardly inclined arcuate path for guiding the cable into the lasher, means mounted on the lasher for attaching a pulling line so that all the rollers of the cable guide are disposed in front of the attaching means, a pulling line secured to the attaching means and extending downwardly and forwardly from the lasher, and means rigidly securing the cable guiding means to the lasher in front of the lasher so that as the lasher is pulled by the pulling line, the cable guiding means is advanced in front of the lasher, said means mounted on the lasher for attaching a pulling line being mounted upon the lasher along an imaginary line extending between the friction wheels and in the direction of the pulling line, the force required to advance the said cable guiding means adding to the downward force being applied by the pulling line to the lasher to thereby cause the friction wheels of the lasher to engage the messenger or strand with greater frictional force and to cause the lasher to be operated by the friction wheels as the lasher is advanced on the messenger or strand.

6. In a cable lashing apparatus adapted to lash cable to a messenger or strand, a cable lasher adapted to be mounted upon the strand, the said :cable lasher having a rotatable head and a pair of friction wheels for rotating the head of the lasher and adapted to engage the messenger or strand, cable guiding means adapted to be mounted upon the strand for guiding the cable into the lasher, attaching means mounted on the lasher for attaching a pulling line so that the cable guiding means is disposed in front of the attaching means, a pulling line secured to the attaching means and extending downwardly and forwardly from the lasher, and means rigidly securing the cable guiding means to the lasher in front of the lasher so that as the lasher is pulled by the pulling line, the cable guiding means is advanced in front of the lasher, said means mounted on the lasher for attaching the pulling line being mounted upon the lasher along an imaginary line extending between the friction rollers and in the direc tion of the pulling line, the force required to advance said cable guiding means adding to the downward force being applied by the pulling line to the lasher over that which would be the case if the cable guiding means were not secured to the lasher to thereby cause the friction wheels of the lasher to engage the messenger or strand with greater frictional force and to cause the lasher to be operated as the lasher is advanced on the messenger or strand.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,277,935 3/42 Perkins. 2,295,749 9/ 42 Neale. 2,479,635 8/49 Neale. 2,5 92,943 4/52 Neale. 2,668,688 2/54 Stanford.

OTHER REFERENCES Electrical World, pages 69-72, Apr. 24, 1948.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MILTON S. MEHR, Examiner. 

1. IN A CABLE LASHING APPARATUS ADAPTED TO LASH CABLE TO A MESSENGER OR STRAND, CABLE GUIDING MEANS ADAPTED TO MOUNTED UPON THE STRAND, CABLE GUIDING THE CABLE INTO BE MOUNTED UPON THE STRAND FOR GUIDING THE CABLE INTO THE LASHER, SAID CABLE GUIDING MEANS HAVING A PLURALITY OF ROLLERS FORMING AN ARCUATE PATH FOR GUIDING THE CABLE MEANS MOUNTED ON THE LASHER FOR ATTACHING A PULLING LINE SO THAT THE LASHER CAN BE TOWED, MEANS RIGIDLY AND RELEASABLY SECURING THE CABLE GUIDING MEANS TO THE FRONT OF THE LASHER SO THAT AS THE LASHER IS TOWED THE CABLE GUIDING MEANS TO PUSHED AHEAD BY THE LASHER TO GUIDE THE CABLE INTO THE LASHER AS THE LASHER IS ADVANCED, AND MEANS PROVIDED ON SAID CABLE GUIDING MEANS ADAPTED TO DIRECTLY AND FRICTIONALLY ENGAGE THE MESSENGER ONLY WHEN IT IS FREE OF THE LASHER TO PREVENT THE CABLE GUIDING MEANS FROM TRAVELLING BACKWARDS WHEN IT IS SEPARATED FROM THE LASHER. 